As The Crow Flies
by DarkMignonette
Summary: Horrid dreams plague Kurama night after night, and he can't help but feel cursed by a dead enemy. Is Karasu really there? Will Hiei be able to solve the problem? Oneshot


_Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi  
Lyrics to Haunted (c) Evanescence_

I tried to drabble, again, but failed. Ah well. Now it's a vignette, kind of. I've never written about Kurama before, but I tried to keep him in character and I hope I succeeded. This is just a random ficlet inspired by yet another challenge on livejournal (called 10 Inspirations, if anyone wants to know). ;3

Enjoy.

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**xxxxxxx**

_ Watching me, wanting me, _

_I can feel you pull me down _

_Fearing you, loving you _

_I won't let you pull me down_

**xxxxxxx**

**xxxx**

**xx**

Kurama could not concentrate.

He sat on the bench, English homework propped up in his lap, pen in his fingers. The sun beamed in the sky, making the April day warmer than usual. He'd even pulled his lengthy hair up in an attempt to cool down. He picked a shady spot under a tree on the more quiet side of the park to work, wanting some time to himself to think.

But it was no use. The redhead shut his book with a sigh.

The sky was clear blue, with flowers blooming all around him. The wind carried the sweet perfume of roses.

Yet there was something lurking in the back of his mind. Something as ugly and brooding as a nightmare. It pulled down at him constantly, setting a heavy weight on his shoulders.

It bothered him so much that his senses remained on alert; never at rest, reminding him of the time months ago. The horror of staggering on that violent stage fighting for his life -- body aching and blood running down his limbs. Floating in between life and death. The bombs at his head. He tried to bury it all under more pleasant memories and move on. But it wouldn't let him. Something refused to let go.

And the dreams added to his uneasiness. He woke up in a sweat every night for the past week. He could never remember what it was, only flashes of sensations and disturbing images. Bright explosions, a black hand yanking his hair until he cried out in pain. So much agony and repulsion. Every time he thought of it he felt utter disgust, skin crawling horror. That hand twisting it's long fingers in his hair, sliding down to his body...dead rose petals everywhere, crimson liquid and darker substances all over the floor.

Kurama bit his lower lip, chasing it from his mind. Whatever the thing was, it cast a hazy shadow over his life. Even the blue light of day failed to cure it. He was starting to hate black...The color reminding him of..what?

The shrill cawing of a crow jarred him from his thoughts. He whirled around to see it burst out of a nearby tree. The bird's shiny black feathers and beady eyes seemed to stare into his soul as he watched it flap away into the distance.

Kurama trembled. It was so unusual, he didn't understand how a mere nightmare could upset him like this.

He fidgeted, feeling a light tug on his hair; a ghostly touch of hands at his back. But it was only the wind._ Just the wind._

"Why the hell are you so jumpy?"

He nearly leaped out of his skin, letting out a strangled "_Hiei!"_

The fire demon merely raised an eyebrow. "What?" he snapped.

"Where did you come from?"

Hiei rolled his eyes and flopped down on the bench beside him.

Kurama's heart thumped wildly in his chest. He straightened up and regained his composure. "You caught me off guard."

"Really?" Hiei mumbled sarcastically.

The shorter man had a habit or appearing out of nowhere; but then again, so did Kurama. He'd surprised him quite a few times. It was like an unspoken game between the both of them; a show of ability and stealth. Neither was the victor. And in times like these Kurama wished he wouldn't test him.

Hiei stared ahead at nothing, messy black hair hanging in his eyes. The usual deadset frown hung on his face.

Kurama smiled absentmindedly.

He felt Kurama's gaze on him. "_What?_"

"Nothing."

A long silence passed, the wind blowing through the trees, lifting some of the heat off their backs. Kurama closed his eyes.

Hiei's voice broke threw the calm. "There's no threat here."

"I know."

He looked at him. "Then what's your problem?"

"Getting bad vibes, that's all."

He glanced around, but saw nothing, just trees and normal humans. "I don't sense anything."

The redhead shrugged. _So it's just me._ That meant there wasn't any oncoming danger or new foe to face. But it was only him. Was he going crazy?

Kurama gathered his textbooks and stood up. Hiei watched without a word.

"I'm feeling off today. I think I've got a ghost." Kurama smiled, a facade of amusement.

"Ghost of who?"

"Karasu."

Hiei's eye's widened slightly. "You're insane."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe."

He turned and glided down the path to the park's exit, only to have Hiei appear again at his side.

Kurama glanced down at him, raising an eyebrow. "You plan on following me home?"

The fire demon glared, avoiding the question. "You shouldn't put your hair like that. You look like a human female."

Kurama chuckled.

Hm. The heavy feeling was gone now. It vanished back to hell or wherever it came from. It seemed Hiei was the only own who could scare it away. But it would probably be back. It came and went as it pleased.

He could still visionize those violet orbs and long back hair. Not bushy and blue-tinted like Hiei's, but a straight, jet black curtain. A blank face that lightened only when inflicting pain on others, the explosions of blood reflected in his eyes. Sadistic son of a bitch who refused to let go even in death.

Or maybe Kurama really was insane. He had to be, how else could his mind conjure up such things? Dead roses and crows that pecked at him as he lay on the slick ground, bleeding...with those damn hands all over him. Normal people didn't dream like that, but then again, he was far from normal.

Hiei nudged his shoulder. "You killed him. He's not coming back."

His logic brought Kurama back to the present. He nodded slowly, green eyes distant. "I know."

Hiei scowled. "Then quit letting it bother you, idiot."

Yeah. He was right.

The wind drifted by once more, carrying the smell of roses. Living roses. Kurama met Hiei's gaze, regarding his dark hair and clothing. Maybe black wasn't always such a bad color.

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Aand there you go. Feel free to tell me what you think.

I'm not sure if I like this or not..it's weird to me. But it was fun to write, anyway. I'm thinkin about doing some kind of fic revolving around Karasu and Kurama (not necessarily the pairing, I mean) But I dunno. Maybe more Hiei and Kurama..eh...

Thanks for reading. ;3


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